GlenArbor is nestled in the rolling hills about an hour from NY City. The golf course is really well laid out, some narrow and testing par 5’s and some well guarded par 3’s. I played with my dear friends Peter M (an honorary member), Joe G, and Clarke B in October 2019:
Peter, Joe, me, Clarke.
It was a sensational day, and I started out well with a two over front 9, but ended up with 6 over on the back nine due to some errant drives. It’s tight!
Here’s a link to a very nice 7 minute video on the Club: https://www.glenarborclub.com/clubhouse/traditions
And here’s a link to the Club’s website: https://www.glenarborclub.com
Rob Labritz is the pro at Glenarbor. I met him a few years ago, when we were interviewing Tom Willson for the position of golf pro at Bonnie Briar. Tom was Rob’s coach at Whistling Straights. Curiously, some people at Bonnie did not consider Tom good enough for Bonnie…
The golf course was re-designed by Gary Player. This is from the Club’s website: The course is blessed with terrain features that golf architects prize: unspoiled wetlands, natural grades and abundant wildlife. Gary Player has preserved all of the native beauty to create a breathtaking course he proudly calls “his masterpiece”. Player’s strategy to achieve course design excellence emphasizes natural beauty that combines both exciting challenges and sophisticated course management. He has masterfully interwoven all three into this majestic championship course.
From the Player tees at nearly 7,000 yards, the course will test the shot making skills of the most accomplished player. The course rolls and turns, demanding draws and fades. Fairways are inviting, while the greens call for touch and control. Truly, par at GlenArbor will be a standard of excellence.
Players will find that precision takes precedence over power, and that rewards are earned for accuracy. With multiple tee complexes on every hole, Gary Player has allowed golfers of all skill levels to participate in the excitement of GlenArbor. Each hole is distinct and memorable thanks to his expert blending of woodland, wetlands and dramatic elevation changes. Players who walk this spectacular course amidst this immense beauty feel the privilege of playing GlenArbor. Members and guests can refine their golfing skills at GlenArbor's world class Teaching and Short Game Center. Staffed by a knowledgeable cadre of PGA teaching professionals, the facility is open year round and is committed to offering the finest instruction.
Pretty cool picture from “Westchester Magazine”.
Environmental considerations are increasing, and GlenArbor has received awards for its role in the stewardship of the land occupied by the Club. This is from the website: Environmental Stewardship: With a name like GlenArbor, it comes as no surprise that conservation is of deep concern to the club and its members. GlenArbor is home to a diverse number of animals, trees, birds and aquatic species. With its many centuries-old specimen trees, nine bodies of water, creeks and numerous wetland buffers, GlenArbor continually embraces its members in splendor. Rather than remaining passive to this magnificent environment, GlenArbor has implemented an Environmental Enhancement Program that augments the natural habitat and native species. As part of this program, GlenArbor has planted more than 3,000 trees and shrubs along with five acres of wild flowers and over 20,000 daffodil bulbs. At the core of the club’s wildlife preservation efforts is the very comprehensive and award winning Bluebird Program that was initiated in 2002. It was not long ago that the state bird of New York was on the endangered species list. It has been very rewarding to the club to help this beautiful song-bird repopulate.
Bluebird boxes are positioned throughout the golf course and are monitored weekly throughout the nesting season with the help of an outside auditor. Since the Bluebird Program's inception in 2002 the club has fledged a total of 809 Bluebirds. In 2010, GlenArbor was selected by the Cornell University’s Department of Ornithology as a preferred site for some of their Eastern Bluebird research projects.
In 2009, GlenArbor created a highly interactive environmental education program that provides insights into the bluebird habitat, aquatic life, photosynthesis and being good stewards of the land. The program is presented to local elementary school students in the classroom and at GlenArbor.